Filmmaker Prakash Jha's Aarakshan, a celluloid take on the volatile academic reservations issue, continued to run into trouble with the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab governments imposing ban on the film's screening ahead of its release on Aug 12.

Security of actors Amitabh Bachchan and Saif Ali Khan were also enhanced following the raging storm over the film that its critics said could foment social unrest again.

The Punjab government has imposed a ban pending a review by a committee because of some dialogues of the film.

Earlier, the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh decided to ban the movie following the review by a committee formed by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai the security around the house of Amitabh Bachchan has been beefed up.

Reports said similar arrangements were made around the residence of Saif Ali Khan.

The Amitabh Bachchan-Saif Ali Khan-Deepika Padukone-Manoj Bajpai starrer is slated to release on Aug 12 nationwide.

‘Aarakshan' deals with the issue of reservation of seats in educational institutions throughout the country, a subject that that triggered nationwide violence and agitations.

Jha, who had previously made films like ‘Gangajal' and ‘Rajneeti' on other controversial issues, has created a celluloid saga portraying how the Supreme Court order enforcing a total reservation of 49.5% in higher educational institutions has affected India and its people.

He said, "Reservation is a truth and it is a part of our society. Through this film we strive to promote a kind of understanding of the issue."

"It deals with centuries of pain being inflicted upon certain parts of society and also the sudden pain that the other part of society feels which finds its opportunities curtailed," he told.

When V.P. Singh was the Prime Minister in 1989-90, he had tried to implement the recommendations of Mandal Commission for reserving seats for the backward classes, triggering an unrest that almost divided the country.

Educational institutions, including colleges and universities, across the country held massive protests against it.

Rajiv Goswami, a student of Delhi University, committed self-immolation in protest of the government's actions, sparking a cycle of protests and immolation bids by other college students and led to a formidable movement against job reservations for Backward Castes in India.

Resevations remained a political and social hot potato since then.